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Gender differences

When teaching or training for self protection, how do you vary the hard and soft skills based on gender? Since men and women face violence under different circumstances generally, slight variations would be crucial to keep things totally applicable.

What I usually find to be important is not the technical differentiatian, but the contextual. Yes, I agree that its fair to say men and women are differently likely to face different kinds of violence, although the circamstances might not be all that different...most violent incidence that have occurred to people I know of both genders occurred when they were walking by themselves in an area with few other people around. However, if you are training a skill or attribute that would be beneficial for a man, that same skill or attribute should be beneficial for a woman. Unless you made your question more specific, I can't imagine a technical difference in how men and women should train. I can see one arguing that because men are more likely to get into a fight instead of a sexual assault situatuin or the like, men should spend more time engaged in live full contact sparring. However, even then, women do fight, and even if a man or woman never fought, but was, instead targetted for a mugging or rape, the exposure to full contact situations gained from sparring would benefit him or her greatly. So contextual differences, if anything, matter the most. Although, if you're training both men and women, I believe that both would benefit from training in assault and rape prevention. Until you get into the VERY nitty gritty parts of rape prevention, the skills are easily transferable to other aspects of self-defense.

I'm sorry if I've missed the mark in what you are claiming the difference between men and women is. But that's how I read your post.

When teaching or training for self protection, how do you vary the hard and soft skills based on gender? Since men and women face violence under different circumstances generally, slight variations would be crucial to keep things totally applicable.

The last time I looked at the British Crime Survey figures on this there were marked differences between the genders. One commonality is the most likely way for both genders to be killed is to be stabbed. After that, the most likely way for a man to be killed is to be kicked and punched to death. A woman is most likely to be strangled to death. A man is most likely to be killed in places associated with alcohol (i.e. bars or outside bars). A woman is most likely to be killed in her own home. A man is most likely to be killed by someone he does not know or only knows casually. A woman is most likely to be killed by her partner. And so on.

This obviously has to have a strong bearing on the way self-defence is taught. As examples, the soft skills associated with avoiding, escaping and defusing the violence associated with “bar fights” have less relevance to women. However, the soft skills associated with avoiding and escaping dysfunctional relationships will be statistically more relevant to women.

Personally, when I teach “cooper’s codes” as part of self-protection courses I apply them to potentially violent relationships too; particularly if the group is female or predominately female. If they find themselves in a relationship with someone who attacks their self-esteem, is passive aggressive, is very controlling, shows signs of being physically violent, etc then it’s very “code orange” and they need to think about removing themselves from that relationship. So the dynamics and nature of dysfunctional relationships definitely needs to be included as they are extremely relevant to female self-protection.

One problem we do have of course is that self-protection is predominately taught by men from a male perspective. Considering the gender differences and ensuring they are adequately addressed is therefore extremely important in my view.

This obviously has to have a strong bearing on the way self-defence is taught. As examples, the soft skills associated with avoiding, escaping and defusing the violence associated with “bar fights” have less relevance to women. However, the soft skills associated with avoiding and escaping dysfunctional relationships will be statistically more relevant to women

This is quite an interesting, point, yes it is prudent to teach specific skill sets to genders that will allow them to defend themselves in their stereotypical encounter. However these are national averages, and it is likely that anyone could end up in any of these situations. Wouldn't it be wise to then teach all genders in a similar manner with ephasis on all skill sets.

I know as a martial artist I would rather have a wholistic approach to defending myself, and being able to stave of all kinds of attack, rather than be particularly proficient and preventing myself from being punched and kicked to death.

I also agree with Iains point as to a male dominated martial arts world, however with the total equality of the sexes looming, we may find that women become a larger a part of martial arts, more so than the already are (After all my Sensei is a Woman).

As Iain and Drew have both said, a great deal of attention needs to be placed on the context of the different types of attack that men, women and children may be likely to encounter.

In the physical context of the self defence skills with regard to women/children there is a lower likelihood of alcohol related assault away from the home, but proportinally a greater likelihood of violence through personal robbery, sexual assault/rape, and domestic violence. While the mechanics of violence remain relatively constant between men/women/children in terms of target selection (where they are grabbed and/or hit), we need to bear in mind the differences that the size, strength and stamina will have on the physical responses required and teach appropriately. It's never about what you as the Coach can do, but about what the student can do.

I would say that a greater area of difference is in the 'soft skills' of target hardening (deterrance, avoidance, awareness etc), personal empowerment, fear management, and verbal escape strategies. Wherever possible I lecture men and women separately as this allows me to concentrate more on the different dynamics appropriate to the circumstances that each may find themselves in.